Regulatory Effect of Fu-Ling on Th1 and Th2-type Cytokine Induced Immune Response

Abstract

茯苓為廣範使用的中華材之一，本實驗室先前研究証明茯苓顯著促進小鼠脾臟細胞IgG和IgA的分泌。此外，茯苓亦可顯著促進人類周邊血液單核球分泌IL-lγ、TNF-γ和IL-6，但對TGF-γ 的分泌呈現抑制作用。本研究目的在透過一系列實驗，證明茯苓可調節小鼠脾臟細胞分泌Th1型和Th2型細胞激素之能力。老鼠腹腔注射50%酒精萃取之茯苓萃取液，連續三天。分離脾臟及收集血清，經過ConA刺激培養。結果顯示，茯苓顯著提升血清中IL-2(Th1型細胞激素)及IL-4、IL-10(Th2型細胞激素)的濃度。藉由ELISA和RT-PCR技術進一步確認，結果証明茯苓同時促進小鼠脾臟細胞Th1型(lL-2，IFN-γ)和Th2型(lL-4、IL-10)之分泌量及mRNA表現量。延伸細胞激素變化調節IgG亞型分泌量的影響，發現茯苓萃取液顯著促進脾臟細胞分泌IgG1、IgG2a以及IgG2b，因此推論茯苓萃取液會藉由Th1型和Th2型細胞激素的分泌調節抗體的製造。

We examined possible effect of Fu-Ling a widely used Chinese herbal medicine on Th1-type and Th2-type cytokine production by murine spleen cells. Mice were injected with a 50% ethanol extract of Fu-Ling for three consecutive days. The serum was collected and spleen cells were isolated and cultured in the presence of concanavalin A. The serum levels of interleukine-2 (Th1-type cytokine) and interleukine-4, interleukine-10 (Th2-type cytokine) were elevated significantly (P<0.05) after treatment. The production of IL-2, interferon-γ. IFN-γ and IL-4, IL-10 by spleen cells, as measured by ELISA and RT-PCR, was significantly augmented by the Fu-Ling ethanol extract. Fu-Ling extract significantly (P<0.01) augmented secretion of immunoglobulin G1, immunoglobulin G2b and immunoglobulin G2a by in vitro spleen cells. Fu-Ling may regulate antibody production by the induction of Th1-type (IL-2, IFN-γ) and Th2-type (IL-4, IL-10) cytokine production.